Newly-Elected Mexican President Is Planning To Reduce Military Spending

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexico’s new president, is making plans to put national interests first and to reduce Mexico’s dependence on the U.S. First up on that agenda is the cancelling of a $1.36 billion purchase of MH-60R Seahawk helicopters.

We know of the order to purchase eight gunships for the Mexican Navy made to the government of the United States for a total value of 25 billion pesos ($1.36 billion). That purchase will be canceled, because we cannot [afford] this expense."

Obrador, an anti-establishment leader, has announced a few such changes, scrapping several of the deals and plans made by the outgoing president, Enrique Pena Nieto. He announced the cancellation of the helicopter order citing the expense as the reason for abandoning the purchase, “We know of the order to purchase eight gunship choppers for the Mexican Navy, made to the government of the United States, for a total value of 25 billion pesos, that purchase will be canceled, because we cannot [afford] this expense.”

Then entire purchase, approved by Washington, included the helicopters, night vision devices, Hellfire missiles, lightweight hybrid torpedoes, and machine guns. The Mexican Navy was planning to use the purchases to help fight drug-trafficking and other organized crime.

Obrador is also planning on selling back the 787 Dreamliner airplane that cost Mexico $218.7 million. He vowed to never “get on that plane,” and he hopes to sell it back to Boeing for what it’s worth so the Mexican taxpayers do “not lose money.” In addition to selling back the plane, he has also made promises to lower the salaries of government officials and end lifetime pensions for former presidents.